Cam-in type card edge connectors are known wherein a circuit card is inserted into the connector in a first position with a minimal insertion force, and the circuit card is pivoted to a second position in mating engagement with resilient contacts in the connector. Latches are required to hold the circuit card in the second position against deflection forces exerted by the resilient contacts. These latches may be plastic latches molded integrally with the connector housing, or may be separate components typically made from metal and attached to the connector housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,302 discloses a cam-in type card edge connector which is arranged to be mounted on a mother board and to hold a daughter card in an orientation which is parallel to the mother board. This connector has discrete metal latches which are held in towers that extend outwardly (parallel to the mother board) from opposite ends of a main housing which holds contacts. The contacts have solder tails which are electrically connected to the mother board by surface mount soldering. The latches have integral solder tabs which are also attached to the mother board by surface mount soldering to increase the retention of the connector to the mother board and to reduce stresses imposed on the solder connections of the contacts. The solder tails of the contacts and the solder tabs of the latches must be coplanar so that good solder joints may be produced, but it is difficult to hold a close coplanarity tolerance on these parts. Also, the metal latches should extend precisely perpendicular to the connector housing for effective latching of the daughter card and for proper alignment with solder pads on the mother board. There is a need for a connector with improved control over positioning of the metal latches. Further, the prior art latch towers take up significant space on the mother board, and there is a need to reduce the size of the housing end portions which receive the metal latches.